1 . I have had no interest in football for as long as I can remember. While my classmates played, I _________ to stay in the library. I never _________ the passion for the game and would throw away the sports section of the newspaper, as if it _________ the rest of it. As I grew up, I proudly wore my _________ .

But occasionally, whether in a taxi or when meeting a friend's father, I found myself faced with a _________ opener like, “Terrible season we’re having, eh?” or simply, “Who do you support?” My heart sank, knowing my response would unavoidably _________ them, despite their good intentions.

I realized that my _________ had closed off many conversations, outings, and even potential friendships I might have _________ enjoyed. Although I couldn't change the fact that I found football boring, I began to regret being a(n) _________ .

Then I became a father. I didn’t want my boy to __________ this valuable social experience, so I took him to watch the Lions play. During those matches, we sat close to the field, surrounded by families who had a genuine __________ with the players. My kid’s questions kept me somewhat __________ in the game. Slowly, I started to__________ for the Lions.

During one victorious match, we even met David, the Captain, who happily __________ for a photo with my son. __________, I had an answer to the question,“Who do you support?”

2 . I’m an online columnist. A few weeks ago, I wrote a column about my life, ending up receiving some _________ reviews on a regular basis. I have become _________ used to being criticized like that. In the following days, I was also surprised when more lovely words _________ in. They told me that my running adventures had _________ them to go out to work out. Yet more _________ me for giving tips on the mental health issues they had also experienced. I have been so touched by all these people.

As an online columnist for ages, I have constantly encountered _________ readers. A lady was _________ about my daughter when she was hospitalized and a gentleman offered to _________ me for my training when I was badly off. There was also a couple who sent me a jar of home-made marmalade when they read about my _________, in the hope of cheering me up. As I thought about __________ of these kind people, I wondered why our brains are programmed to focus on the bad things __________ all the lovely ones.

At that moment, I’ve realized we don’t have the luxury of negativity. Our life is too short to be __________ by it. To stop engaging in it, the key is our __________ to be dragged down by it. In that spirit, I’ve __________ that from now on, I’m only going to focus on the positive. I’ll keep a file on my cellphone containing all __________ for me, and look at them when times get tough.

It was a Saturday morning as I prepared to take my eight-year-old son, David, to the aquarium. His eyes were widened with excitement, and he chattered non-stop about the sea creatures we would see, the sharks, the dolphins... We boarded the bus, and after a few stops, we made ourselves comfortably seated. David gazed out the window, watching the world go by with wonder.

The bus continued its route, and with each stop, it became increasingly crowded. Passengers of varying ages and backgrounds filled the seats. David and I were engaged in a light-hearted conversation about marine life, our anticipation and joy building with each passing minute.

As we approached a mid-route bus stop, an elderly lady boarded, her movements labored and her legs visibly unsteady. The bus was full, and for a moment, there was an obvious hesitation among the passengers, each perhaps weighing the social morals against their own comfort. The elderly lady seized her walking aid, swaying slightly with each lurch of the vehicle.

Noticing the elderly lady’s struggle, David made a decision. Without a moment’s hesitation, he rose from his seat. His small hand gestured towards the elderly lady. “You can sit here, ma'am,” he said, his voice clear and sincere. The elderly lady’s face transformed with a mixture of surprise and gratitude. “Oh, thank you, boy,” she said, her voice filling up with emotion. David then took her hand gently, helping her navigate through the crowd to the seat he had left for her. With the help of David, the lady eased herself into the seat, her relief evident. I felt pride welling up within me as I watched what David had done. Looking at David, who was standing now, I saw not just the playful child he was known to be, but the empathetic and considerate young man he was growing into.

As the bus rolled on, it was filled with renewed warmth among the passengers.

That evening, as we returned home, I couldn’t help but reflect on the true treasure of the day.

On a cold winter day years ago, I slipped in the snow in the wilderness and broke my legs. As I lay on the ground, unable to move my body, I believed I was fated to freeze to death. My dog, Becky, however, didn't run away. Instead, she determined to save me. She lay on top of me to keep me warm for many hours, barking continually until help arrived, long after I lost consciousness. Eventually, I was saved.　　

A few cold winters later, Becky was discovered to have a baseball-sized lump (肿块) on her belly. Before long, my husband Bob took Becky for surgery to remove the lump. To take care of my babies, I had to stay at home, filled with anxious thoughts. After her surgery, when Bob left to pick her up, it was snowing heavily. Becky could barely walk, so Bob carried her.　　

They couldn't get in the door easily because Becky was wearing a big, hard plastic cone(圆锥体) around her neck to prevent her from licking her sutures (伤口缝合线). I held the door wide open. She was sad and crying. There was snow inside her cone. It took over five minutes to get them in because Becky shook her head wildly to try to remove the cone. The sound of the con e hitting the door made her panic and cry even louder.　　

Once inside, she was so frightened that she kept her tail between her legs. She thought she had done something wrong. Her expression said, “I’m sorry for what I did that led to me having to wear this.” Because of her surgery, Becky wouldn't take her special treat of a cube of cheese. She wouldn’t sit or lie down. All she did was stand and cry. “How long will she have to wear it ?” I asked. “Two weeks,” Bob replied.

“It’s my turn to take good care of her, just as she did for me years ago,” I thought.

Then, I stayed with her on the floor, helping her get through her firs tough night.

Eventually, the day arrived when Bob took her to have her sutures removed.

6 . Thomas was a well-known wise man. One day, he wandered in a beautiful small town. Because of his fame, people from nearby towns who heard of his arrival all came to visit and seek his advice.

Many who came sought help with difficulties in daily life, and Thomas, unable to bear turning them away, patiently offered suggestions. Word spread quickly, and more and more people came to see Thomas for guidance.

One day, dozens of people crowded outside Thomas’s door, all clamoring (大声地要求) that their problems were the most serious and urgent, each insisting that Thomas address their concerns first, with no one willing to yield (让步).

After a moment of thought, Thomas took out some paper and a pen and said, “I can’t hear clearly with everyone talking at once. How about everyone write down your problem on a piece of paper and place it in this basket beside me?”

Once everyone had placed their notes in the basket, Thomas shook the basket and said, “Please each take a piece of paper from the basket and read what it says.”

As everyone read a note from someone else, they all realized that indeed, each person has their own troubles, and every household has its own challenges. Then Thomas spoke up, “Now, whose problem is the most urgent to solve?” Hearing that question, no one spoke again, because now no one dared to claim that their problem was the most severe.

Often, we are bound by our immediate feelings. When difficulties and problems strike, it feels as though we are caught in a vortex of pain. But if we shift our focus from ourselves and look towards others, we might discover that the problems we face are not so significant. Perhaps others are the ones who need help more urgently, or maybe there is something within our power that we can do for them.

7 . That day was Nancy’s 30th birthday and she was alone at home. She was standing by the living room window, with her eyes filled with _________. She was sure her sister would _________ her like she always did.

Looking out from the window, Nancy _________ her journey. All these years, she took up different _________, from a factory worker, a waitress to a hotel clerk. Her only goal was to _________ Kate, her younger sister. To her relief, Kate was a(n) _________ student, always doing well at school. For Nancy, Kate _________ much to her. She was her dream and happiness.

As lost in thought, Nancy was _________ by footsteps approaching her room. Her eyes lit up right away. She rushed to the door and sniffed (嗅) the air to catch the _________ smell of the chocolate cake. However, unlike usual, Kate arrived, __________ this time. No cake; no beautiful gift box. Nancy’s __________ disappeared. Kate gave Nancy a big hug and said, “Happy birthday!” “Thank you,” Nancy just replied __________. And then Kate took an envelope from her pocket and said, “Here is your birthday gift.” Looking at Kate questioningly, Nancy __________ it. Inside was a(n) __________ letter. Kate continued, “I signed you up for the community college with the money I earned through part-time work. I want you to __________ from where you left.”

Nancy hugged Kate tightly, crying with joy. She finally got the best ever birthday gift.

8 . It was like finding a needle in a haystack. Shelly Romo surveyed what was ________ of her home in Maui, which was hit by a deadly wildfire, hoping to find her wedding ring, expecting to leave ________. But luckily, after three hours’ ________ with volunteers, it finally appeared, the diamond ________ but the band completely damaged. Romo and her husband went straight to No Ka’ Oi Jewelers — a local business that has been ________ fire-damaged jewelry free of charge.

No Ka’ Oi owner Omi Chamdi said he was one of the ________ ones — the fires had avoided his home and storefront. That’s why, in its aftermath, he immediately sprang into action and advertised ________ restorations. “When the fires here on Maui occurred, pretty ________ I decided this is something I can do and I really want to do for the ________ community.”

However, Chamdi doesn’t restore the jewelry himself; ________ he has been paying for the restoration services. When asked if he ever ________ that, he shook his head. “These are not just ordinary items, these are the most ________ possessions that people go back and dig through the ________ to find.”

________, Romo was not ready to say goodbye when the fires destroyed her home. But finding her wedding ring and getting it restored gave Romo some peace about ________.

9 . Isabella Springmuhl Tejada is one of the first professional fashion designers with Down Syndrome (唐氏综合征).

Her path to success wasn’t ________.Although she showed her________.for design in childhood, when she would spend hours designing paper dresses for her dolls, she was________from several fashion schools due to her disease. She had no________but to seek other ways. She________for a sewing course, where she was________to sew clothing for finger-sized traditional Guatemalan (危地马拉的) dolls, which she________happily. Meanwhile, she also made a(n)________in designing dolls, creating some life-sized dolls and dressing them in the colorful traditional embroidered jackets she’s now famous for.

This design experience helped Tejada develop her own design style,________traditional Guatemalan patterns, colors, and materials in her culture. She also created her own brand Down To Xjabelle,________for people with Down Syndrome, knowing how difficult it was for people like her to find________! clothes. The new brand ________right away, making it all the way to London Fashion Week, proving fashion can________all barriers and borders.

And the ________designer talks about her plans for the future as well, “I want to export my brand all over the world and________that people with Down Syndrome can do what they set out to do.”